RebeccaBallhaus

President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and joint party committees continued to direct funds to his companies in the first quarter of the year, paying close to $500,000 to Trump-owned hotels, golf clubs and restaurants, according to new campaign-finance disclosures.

The new reports, filed late Friday with the Federal Election Commission, showed that Trump’s campaign directed more than 6% of the $6.3 million it spent in the first three months of 2017 to the president’s companies, including $274,013 in rent to Trump Tower, $58,685 for lodging to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., and $13,828 for facility rental and catering to the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.

During the election, Trump’s campaign, together with the Republican National Committee, directed more than $14 million to family-owned companies and to reimbursing his children for travel-related expenses, FEC reports showed.

Since entering the White House, Trump has drawn criticism from ethics experts who say he hasn’t appropriately distanced himself from his companies. Trump has turned over management of his business empire to his two adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, but retains ownership in the company. His trust allows him to draw money from his business as its trustees—Donald Trump Jr. and Allen Weisselberg, the company’s longtime chief financial officer—see fit without disclosing it publicly.

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